It’s still hard to fathom the utter hatred shown to California punk rock trio Jawbreaker when they released major label debut (and swansong) Dear You. Though it is now hailed as a pop-punk/emo classic, it sure wasn’t considered that at the time! Cries of ‘sellout’ rang loud and clear throughout their fanbase; the album didn’t sell, people were vocal in their animosity, and it was a sad end to a great band. Yet its reception isn’t really the cause of their demise; leader Blake Schwarzenbach said that they signed simply to try something new, to avoid breaking up in the first place. And, truth be told, Dear You is a great record; considering how pop-punk and punk would soon adopt this sound. Lead single “Fireman” was great, too.